Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Alberto Contador Wins the 98th Edition of the Giro d'Italia

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) has won the 2015 Giro d'Italia, although the final stage was as drama-filled and unpredictable as the previous three weeks of racing. Contador finished safely in the peloton at the end of the final stage, Torino - Milano (178 km).

In GC Fabio Aru finished 1'53" behind Contador, with his team-mate, Mikel Landa, third at 3'05". The fourth-placed rider overall was the Costa Rican, Andrey Amador, whose time was more than eight minutes adrift of Contador.

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo), 2015 Giro d'Italia champion
Q: How did this Giro d'Italia differ from the other two?
A: My preparation for this Giro d'Italia was optimal. In 2008 I came at the last minute, and I didn't know the race, or how I'd be received, or what the climbs were like. In 2011, I prepared conscientiously, but only after a very intense start to the season. This time, by contrast, I raced in the start of the season, but it's also true that it is the first part of an objective that I've set myself, and for that reason, perhaps, I'm calmer or more reflective while I am racing.

Q: Did you make any errors that you feel you must not repeat at the Tour?
A: No, I don't think so. Perhaps I see it like this: there were days when I could have been more ambitious. I decided to to ride more tactically, and I think it was the right thing to do, in the end, because look at yesterday: I had a bad day because my strength was declining. No, there is nothing I think that I could improve on for the Tour. Perhaps my main memory of the Giro is the leg pain with which I finished the race, and the tired body.

Q: What will you do now?
A: My Tour de France starts now. My preparation starts now. Tonight, to the extent to which it is possible, I'll go and rest as early as possible. Tomorrow I want to go to Spain. I want to take three or four days before I start concentrating again on the Tour, in complete isolation. So tomorrow I'm looking forward to a nice day.

THE GIRO IN NUMBERS
Here’s the story of the 98th edition, in numbers:

35 – business partners who have contributed to the success of the Giro, showing their brands on this edition of the Corsa Rosa
50 – vehicles in the Giro d’Italia caravan
98 – the editions of the Corsa Rosa
163 – riders who finished the Giro d’Italia in 2015
171 – countries in which the Giro was broadcast daily
201 – the bib number of Alberto Contador, winner of the Giro d’Italia
1,067 – the number of media credited for the event
1,750 – the number of vehicles credited for the event
3,501 – the Corsa Rosa race distance in kilometers
33,000 – the number of passes released, representing 62 countries in the five continents
350,000 – followers on Twitter
680,000 – Facebook fans on the official page
3,440,000 – page views (daily average) on the official Giro d’Italia site and the Giro App combined
3,500,000 – the average number of viewers that host broadcaster RAI had during the last hour of race in the Sestriere stage with the Colle delle Finestre climb

Tsgabu Grmay, Team Lampre-Merida, was the first black African cyclist ever to complete the Giro d'Italia.

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